The present invention relates to a device for use in a monitoring system having a multiplicity of transducers, each generating a signal corresponding to an event to which the transducer is responsive, for example, a fault of some type. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device incorporated into such a monitoring system to indicate which signal transducer has emitted a signal.
In prior art surveillance systems having different types of signal transducers, a signal from a transducer is indicated in different manners. Examples of indicators are lamps, instruments, alarm devices or the like, which are connected to separate transducers and which are normally placed centrally in an operating panel or the like. Thus, one indication line is required for each transducer, and a large number of transducers requires as large a number of indicator lines, at least in those cases where it is desirable to monitoring each one of the transducers. The wiring for such a system must, obviously, be extensive, and such systems are, as a result, costly, sensitive to disturbance and complicated.
This is particularly valid in thread surveillance systems for spinning machines, yarn frames, texturizing machines etc. in which a very great number of threads is to be monitored. In a number of such machines it is desirable to monitor a hundred threads, or more. Furthermore, when a fault occurs, it is desirable to obtain an indication of the faulty thread or the triggering thread sensor.